


I have loved the stars

by musicofthespheres



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: 3 year gap, F/M, Ficlet, afraid of the dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 20:43:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15178952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicofthespheres/pseuds/musicofthespheres
Summary: Vegeta had never known true darkness in his life.





	I have loved the stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Super_Saiyanerd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Super_Saiyanerd/gifts).



Vegeta had never known true darkness in his life. 

From the soft glow of Vegeta-sei’s moon filtering into his chambers as a boy to the harsh always-on lights of Frieza’s flagship, his sleeping hours had always been illuminated in some form or another. 

So when he came to earth and was offered the (entirely unexpected) hospitality of the blue-haired woman whom he’d threatened on Namek, he was _not_ expecting… a void. 

The first time he’d opened his eyes in the pitch-black of his room (which was helped along by blackout curtains designed to block out the lights of the compound), Vegeta’s heart went into overdrive. 

He thought he was dead, at first. But the weight of the blankets -- tangible and real in his hands -- told him otherwise. Then he’d fallen out of bed entirely in his struggle to disentangle himself. 

A light turned on in the hallway outside, filling him with relief. And shame. 

A mighty Saiyan warrior, afraid of the _dark_? He could practically feel his father’s disapproval from the afterlife.

xxx

“You alright in there?” the woman asked, tapping gently on his door. “I heard… crashing.”

Vegeta opened the door just a crack and peered out, annoyed. “I am fine, woman. Go back to sleep.” 

She tilted her head to the side, not entirely convinced. “If you make a mess of my house, you’re cleaning it up.” 

As she retreated down the hallway, she ran her hand along the wall until it reached the lightswitch. 

“Wait,” Vegeta called out, still watching her. “Leave that on. I do not know my way around and do not wish to trip in the dark.” 

She stopped and looked back at him for a split second, and he feared she’d figured out his secret. But then she just shrugged, left the light on, and returned to her own room.

xxx

“We used to have a moon,” the blue-haired woman said, peering into her telescope. “But Piccolo destroyed it to stop Gohan from transforming.” She motioned for Vegeta to come closer, her breath coming out in tiny little puffs of air in the chilly winter night.

Vegeta stood still with his arms crossed. “Not like it matters now that none of the living Saiyans have their tails anymore,” he muttered bitterly. 

The woman looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Not my fault you decided to go on a rampage. Maybe you should think before you do things.” 

“Tch.” Then, “Let me see.” He pushed her aside despite her protests and set his eye to the lens. 

“I see I’m going to have to make you your own telescope,” she mused as she watched him gaze at the stars. 

“Woman,” he said abruptly, still watching the heavens. 

“Bulma,” she corrected for the umpteenth time. 

“How do you humans stand being in the dark all the time?” 

“What do you mean?” Bulma asked, eager for her curiosity finally to be sated. He knew she had wondered about him since that first night. 

“The darkness. You sleep in the dark, you willingly spend time,” he said, waving his hand to gesture around them, “In the dark. I don’t understand.” He looked up at her, brows furrowed in confusion. 

Bulma smiled down at her mug of hot chocolate. “You’re afraid of it, aren’t you?” she asked. It was a gentle question, with none of the malice or sarcasm he was used to hearing from her. 

“I find it unsettling,” he replied, as close as he’d ever get to admitting that she was right. 

“Well, there’s this old poem,” Bulma said.

xxx

_Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;  
I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night. _

xxx

Vegeta slept in the pitch-black after that. And when the woman had sought him out in the months that followed and joined him beneath the covers, he kept the lights off. It was a stalwart reminder that even in his darkest hour, she would be his shining light. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and your comments are always appreciated!


End file.
